Strategy implementation remains a persistent challenge in strategic management, with many organisations failing to bridge the gap between formulation and execution.
This study introduces the concept of strategy message affordance and investigates its role in enabling effective strategy translation, which is posited as a precursor to enhanced implementation outcomes.
Given the ongoing implementation gap observed in organisations, there is a need to explore alternative explanatory mechanisms better understand and address implementation failures.
Using a qualitative research design, the study draws on semi-structured interviews conducted across two case organisations. Thematic analysis was used to identify patterns relating to message interpretation, strategic alignment and implementation dynamics.
The study finds that enhanced implementation is enabled when the strategy message is consistently and personally conveyed, supported by inclusive organisational culture, cohesion and open communication. Furthermore, a management team that engages directly, demonstrates contextual awareness and recognises employees as individuals fosters trust, leading to improved strategic alignment at lower levels.
Organisations aiming to improve strategy execution should invest in deliberate, contextualised communication strategies and foster leadership behaviours that build interpersonal trust and collective understanding of the strategic agenda.
This study advances the strategic management literature by conceptualising SMA and linking it to implementation success via the mediating role of strategy translation.
Having a well-formulated strategy is one thing; implementing that strategy is an entirely different matter. There is substantial literature on strategy management and the challenges organisations face with implementation (Beer & Eisenstat
There are ongoing calls for more research on strategy implementation, as much of the existing literature focuses on formulation (Allio
This article introduces SMA, a novel concept based on Affordance Theory initially proposed by Gibson (
For clarity, this article defines ‘strategy message’ as the ‘core narrative about a venture’s strategy that is transferred to the implementers, leading to collective affordance of actions conducive to executing the strategy’.
The associated term ‘strategy translation’ is also clarified by referring to the sense-making and sense-giving processes during the transfer of strategy, which result in actionable decisions by implementers (Melebari
The purpose of this exploratory study is to investigate whether the concept of a strategy message is related to enhanced strategy translation and implementation. The following research questions informed the study:
What must the strategy message afford the implementers of strategy messages to ensure enhanced implementation?
What are the elements and/or requirements (characteristics) of a strategy message that afford implementation?
What affordances can be linked to enhanced sense reception to improve the rate of success of strategy implementation?
What factors may create an environment in which the strategy message leads to enhanced translation?
The aim of the literature review is to provide background on the key concepts of this study, namely: (1) strategy implementation; and (2) SMA, along with their respective constructs.
Effective strategy implementation is critical to an organisation’s success, although it is often more challenging than strategy formulation (Andrews, Beynon & Genc
For a considerable time, researchers have proposed various models and frameworks to address implementation challenges. For instance, Alexander (
The implementation problem is exacerbated by the complexity of tasks, involvement of multiple stakeholders and need for continuous adaptation (Holm, Kringelum & Anand
Strategy message affordance is proposed as an alternative concept or view to explore the implementation problem. For the sake of clarity, it is necessary to highlight that the researchers consider SMA as the potential of a strategy message to enable employees to effectively translate and implement organisational strategies. It is envisaged that once investigated, SMA may offer valuable insight into what the strategy message concept affords people (employees) to implement organisational strategy. In the following two subsections, the concepts of affordances and strategy messages are explored.
Affordance theory emphasises reciprocity between an organism (person or animal) and its environment, linking perception to action and meaning (Gibson
To apply affordance theory to strategy implementation in organisations, additional factors must be considered. These include the need to address outcomes that result from interactions with environmental objects, the limitations of the theory’s individualistic perspective, and the presence of multiple actors and affordances in organisational contexts (Strong et al.
This extended definition is crucial for strategy implementation, as it involves multiple participants across various organisational levels (Allio
In this context, a strategy message refers to the ‘core narrative about a venture’s strategy that is transferred to the implementers and leads to collective affordance of actions conducive to executing the strategy’ (Gibson
Message Perception: Gibson’s Affordance Theory focuses on perception, which is central to how organisms (or people) interact with objects in their environments (Gibson
Perception Versus Action: A distinction must be made between perceiving and acting on a message. Affordances represent action possibilities, not actual actions or outcomes (Gibson
Sense-making and Sense Reception: Karl Weick’s sensemaking perspective, strongly linked to organising, plays a crucial role in determining human behaviour, which is a key component in implementing strategic change (Sandberg & Tsoukas
Message Barriers or Constraints That Oppose Affordances: Several barriers can impede communication and message translation (Kheirandish, Abbaszadeh Avilagh & Nazemi
This exploration of SMA, sense-making and barriers to message translation highlights the complex interplay of factors that contribute to successful strategy implementation in organisational settings.
The methodology section addresses: (1) research design; (2) sampling strategy; (3) data collection methods; and (4) data analysis methods.
This study followed a qualitative research design in which the researchers were the ‘principal instruments of data collection and analysis’ (Merriam & Tisdell
For this study, employees from two non-industry-specific organisations headquartered in the Gauteng Province of South Africa were selected through purposive sampling. Gauteng is considered to be South Africa’s economic hub; hence, the researchers considered it to be appropriate. Since strategy implementation problems affect all types of organisations (Cândido & Santos
The participants were selected using both criteria and snowball sampling. Senior-level managers, chosen through criterion sampling, referred to additional participants – primarily lower- and middle-level employees. Middle management plays a crucial role in translating strategy messages and mediating between ground-level and executive management (Wooldridge, Schmid & Floyd
In total, there were 12 participants from across the two organisations, representing senior-, middle- and lower-management levels. This distribution allowed for the inclusion of perspectives from all levels directly involved in strategy translation and implementation. Sample adequacy was guided by the principle of data saturation, which indicated that sufficient depth and diversity of insight had been obtained.
In alignment with qualitative research practices, semi-structured interviews were chosen as the primary method of data collection because of their ability to engage with participants’ worldviews and personal experiences, as highlighted by King and Hugh-Jones (
The data collected through these interviews were then subjected to thematic analysis, which Braun and Clarke (
Data collection was conducted iteratively with ongoing analysis, and subsequent interviews were conducted. This iterative process helped ensure that the themes were refined and that new interviews added depth to the emerging patterns. Saturation was reached when no new themes or insights emerged from the data, and later interviews only reaffirmed the themes that were already identified. At this point, it was determined that the collected data were sufficient to comprehensively address the study’s research questions, consistent with the principle of saturation in qualitative research (Naeem et al.
Prior to the inception of the interviews, all participants completed a written informed consent form where background information was provided on the purpose of the study. Additionally, written consent to publish selective participant data (for improved contextualisation) was obtained from all participants – all efforts to anonymise participants were still taken.
Ethical clearance to conduct this study was obtained from the University of Pretoria Ethics Committee of the Department of Business Management (No. u04965907/2020).
As previously indicated, four main themes were identified in the study, each with links to various research questions, as shown in
Framework of the themes and sub-themes.
| Themes | Theme 1: Strategy message affordances for implementers | Theme 2: Elements and/or requirements of a strategy message that afford implementation | Theme 3: Affordances that are linked to enhanced sense reception | Theme 4: Factors leading to enhanced strategy translation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sub-themes | Understanding the strategy message Buy-in Roles Confidence in the strategy message Trust in management Accountability Structure Seeing the bigger picture Choice Resources Resistance Flexibility Attainability |
Strategy message elements
Personalisation Objectives Goals Message barriers Medium Review Strategy message requirements
Consistency Inclusive strategy formulation Value match Rigidity |
Communication affordances
Effective communication Open dialogue Direct communication Feedback Multiplatform communication Message elements
Clarity Simplicity Organisational environment
Cohesion Culture of inclusivity Context Biases Teaching and learning |
Human capital elements
Hands-on management Morale Human Resource Management Strengths and weaknesses Work environment Trust in colleagues Management support Transparency regarding problems Process elements
Paper trail Simple processes Planning Monitoring |
This theme relates to the affordances of the strategy message: concepts that have previously been defined as action-oriented implementers can be actualised to enhance implementation. It outlines the elements of the strategy message that have been identified as affordances (or not) for the implementers of the strategy message. Linkages are made to the literature, although they relate broadly to strategy implementation and not specifically to SMAs. This is because, as mentioned, no specific data for the SMA construct exist as far as can be determined.
All the participants indicated that the strategy message should collectively afford the implementers an improved understanding of the message to ensure affordance actualisation (Strong et al.
‘So, you know, when we talk about strategy and we present strategy, we do allow people to ask questions because part of that translation to be successful is complete understanding and comprehension of what is meant.’ (P1, male, mid-level management)
‘Everyone should be able to understand it, the content and context of it.’ (P7, male, top-level management)
This notion of an improved understanding of the strategy message and its links to effective communication, which forms part of Theme 3 of this study, is supported in the literature (Sterling
Additionally, all but one of the participants indicated that the strategy message should afford ‘buy-in’, which is referenced by phrases such as ‘strategy we’re loyal to’ (P2, female, lower-level management) and ‘build an alliance’ (P4, female, mid-level management).
‘If they don’t agree with it, you can’t push things down people’s throats. Rather sell it, let them buy into it, let them have some ownership. Then it’s not my strategy, it’s our strategy.’ (P7, male, top-level management)
Ensuring employees’ buy-in and commitment to the strategy is supported in the literature (Alexander
Furthermore, the majority of participants highlighted that the strategy message must clearly delineate roles in the implementation process. Indeed, implementers must understand their roles clearly to enable sense-making of what is required of them (Holm et al.
‘Well […] if the person implementing, their role in that implementation wasn’t clearly set out, that could make it all very difficult.’ (P3, male, top-level management)
Notably, some negative affordances were identified as potential deterrents for the implementers. Some participants noted that if not afforded, resistance may negatively impact the implementation process. This resistance could be linked to the message content, the message source (Beck & Keyton
Theme 2 comprises two sub-themes that split the affordances into either the elements or the requirements of the strategy message that affords implementation. As alluded to, affordances are founded on the relationship between people (employees) and the features or aspects of the things (in this case, the strategy message) they encounter (Treem & Leonardi
An expected confirmation of this study is the importance of personalising the strategy message to the receiver in the transference thereof to afford implementation. This implies an understanding of message receivers in terms of their linguistic ability (Boshoff
‘So, first things first, is to make sure whatever message you relay is in the right sort of language and context and wording that’s appropriate to whoever needs to execute it and implement it.’ (P1, male, mid-level management)
While the literature does speak to message personalising for marketing or advertising purposes (Strycharz et al.
Most participants also identified that the strategy message must contain clear goals and objectives to achieve those goals to afford implementation.
‘I’ve had some really good management that give you clear end goals and a roadmap of how to get there.’ (P3, male, top-level management)
Noble (
More than half of the participants considered consistency to be the most important requirement for a strategy message that affords implementation. This relates to the content of the message (Boshoff
‘There’s no sort of one strategy and a lot of the time the strategy comes from different people and different angles […]’ (P2, female, lower-level management)
The inclusive strategy formulation was highlighted as the next most important requirement of a strategy message that affords implementation. Including the implementers – and those responsible for overseeing the implementation – in the formulation process increases buy-in and the sense of responsibility for the success of the strategy (Sterling
‘I take the team with me when it comes to, we begin together with formulations. I put out what I’ve analysed, ask for input and feedback, and then we’ll formulate a strategy from there.’ (P1, male, mid-level management)
Interestingly, a value match or alignment between strategy formulators and implementers in terms of the outcomes of the strategy message was identified.
‘As soon as you get a message from top management and their point of view and your point of view is the same point of view for the future, that would make it much easier for us to go into the same direction.’ (P8)
Value congruence was a distinctive element identified in this study. While it has been widely studied, it generally relates to employees’ personal values and whether they fit within the organisation or its workgroups (Ostroff, Shin & Kinicki
Another requirement of the strategy message that participants said would not afford implementation was rigidity, or an inability or unwillingness to do things in new or different ways. The need for flexibility in strategy implementation is supported by the literature (Miller
This theme relates to the various affordances that could enhance sense reception, and thus, the translation of the strategy message. Sense reception, which has been touched upon previously, is part of the broader sense-making process or the continual process of making sense of and understanding information (Taylor & Robichaud
This sub-theme relates to the affordances linked to communication, which the participants said could lead to enhanced sense reception. All participants identified effective communication, defined as regular communication sufficient to facilitate continuous understanding, as the cornerstone for enhanced sense reception.
‘I think one of the key things … is regular updates: regular communication about where we are, what are we doing, how are we doing it.’ (P1, male, mid-level management)
Effective communication during the strategy management process is supported in the literature (Mantere
Most of the participants recognised the importance of an environment, which is also discussed later on, which allows for open dialogue or the ability to question the strategy and offer suggestions for improvement. This also speaks to a culture of inclusivity, which is an identified sense reception affordance related to the organisational environment that will be elaborated upon. Indeed, open vertical communication and management willingness to learn from and involve employees are important (Beer & Eisenstat
‘That’s why there must be an environment and culture for courageous conversation … The person that’s implementing must be able to say, I’ve been given the opportunity to say I don’t think this or that will work ….’ (P7, male, top-level management)
Participants identified direct face-to-face communication as important, while many indicated that a feedback mechanism is necessary to afford enhanced sense reception. This has been alluded to previously (Hrebiniak
Three elements that relate specifically to the strategy message itself were identified as potential affordances for enhanced sense reception. All participants stated that the content of the strategy message must be clear to improve their understanding. This is in accordance with the literature (Melebari
‘And, for that strategy to be much clearer because I think that will translate better, it’ll make their job easier, it’ll make everyone beneath them sort of understand the process more […]’ (P2, female, lower-level management)
Some participants mentioned the need for a simple strategy message to afford enhanced sense reception. This is highlighted in the following quote:
‘Simple messages […] break tasks down into simple tasks with simple messaging.’ (P3, male, top-level management)
The use of a simple language has been referenced previously (Shulman & Bullock
This sub-theme relates to affordances of the organisational environment that are linked to enhanced sense reception. Most participants identified cohesiveness, or an organisational environment in which there is a collective push toward a common goal or goal, as optimal for enhanced sense reception.
‘It must be a team effort all the time. I think that’s what makes it easier is that the team relies on each other and we know that no matter the circumstance, the team is going to help.’ (P5, female, lower-level management)
Teamwork, as part of the strategy implementation process, is supported in the literature (Li et al.
Some participants spoke about a culture of inclusivity and how they would assist with sense reception.
‘[
Interestingly, some participants said it is important to understand the professional context of the message receiver to enhance sense reception. This implies that senior managers who pass the message down for translation and implementation should have their own understanding of the job requirements and responsibilities of their subordinates.
‘Sometimes I think that our managers just go, “Do this,” but they don’t understand the thing that they’re asking us to do.’ (P5, female, lower-level management)
Again, this speaks to the element of personalisation, albeit in a different context. What emerged from the data is that employees want to be seen as individuals and not just as a face in the crowd in terms of their skill sets, wants and needs.
Theme 4 relates to broader factors that could lead to enhanced translation and, therefore, an improved understanding of the strategy message. It comprises two sub-themes: human capital and general process elements.
This sub-theme describes people-related factors that can lead to enhanced strategy translation. The judged ‘quality’ of the people involved in the strategy implementation process may influence the effectiveness thereof (Li et al.
‘Yes, they roll up their sleeves and say, “Okay, how are we doing this?” They are very team-centric.’ (P5, female, lower-level management)
Most participants highlighted overall organisational morale as important in increasing translation. This may also have a positive impact on the work environment and the level of trust in colleagues, two other elements outlined as leading to enhanced strategy translation.
‘I think morale definitely contributes to how much you engage on the strategy. So you wouldn’t go above and beyond your role, or as a team, if morale is not good within the office or in the environment and the team.’ (P5, female, lower-level management)
Another element mentioned by participants is the proper treatment of staff and the impact this has on their output.
‘So, he walked in here and he’s brought everything together, he’s just uplifted this whole department because of his good communication skills and the way he talks to people, the way he handles people.’ (P12, female, mid-level management)
The need to treat staff (implementers) to increase morale and create a better work environment is supported in the literature (Beer & Nohria
Process elements relate to the identified elements of the organisational process, which may enhance translation. Some participants identified having a paper trail as important in this regard.
‘If it’s not in writing and the message goes to more than one person you are going to get misunderstandings ….’ (P12, female, mid-level management)
Participants also identified simple processes as a beneficial means of enhancing translation.
‘And again, I think they need to be given the space to do their jobs instead of worrying about the bureaucracy, because that’s what gets in the way.’ (P2, female, lower-level management)
Planning in the process of transferring the strategy message was also highlighted, along with proper and consistent monitoring during the implementation process, to increase the chances of translation. This is supported by the literature (Holm et al.
This exploratory study investigated the concept of SMA and its potential link with improved strategy translation and implementation. Addressing the first research question – what a strategy message must afford to ensure enhanced implementation – revealed that the message should provide a broad understanding of the strategy, including its necessity and the benefits of its successful implementation. The message should also encourage buy-in through inclusion in decision-making, fostering responsibility and reducing resistance. Additionally, the strategy message must clearly define roles, enhance accountability, inspire confidence in the message’s content and attainability, build trust in management, and offer flexibility in implementation.
For the second research question, the elements of a strategy message that afford implementation – a key finding – were the importance of personalising the message to the recipients, considering their sense-making abilities and potential barriers such as language or contextual factors. Clear goals and consistency in message content and sources were identified as being crucial. An inclusive strategy formulation process that fosters buy-in is also essential. A value match between strategy formulators and implementers was highlighted as critical for an improved sense reception. Rigidity in the strategy message was viewed as a negative affordance that could hinder implementation.
The third research question explored affordances linked to enhanced sense reception in order to improve strategy implementation. Three sub-themes emerged: communication, the message itself and the organisational environment. Effective, regular communication and open dialogue were pivotal, fostering a culture of inclusivity and trust. Clarity and simplicity in messaging were identified as the essential affordances. Additionally, cohesion among staff and a culture of inclusivity in which employees feel connected to higher management are important. Understanding the professional context of message receivers is crucial for ensuring realistic expectations.
The final research question examined the factors that create an environment conducive to enhanced strategy translation. Human capital elements and organisational processes are key. A hands-on upper management team was seen as supportive and morale-boosting, improving trust among the staff. Treating employees well and maintaining a positive work environment are also crucial. In terms of processes, participants highlighted the importance of maintaining a paper trail and ensuring multiplatform communication along with simple processes, sufficient planning and robust monitoring structures.
This study has two main limitations. Firstly, it only sampled corporations that are headquartered in the Gauteng province of South Africa, which provides insight into local viewpoints on strategy translation and its affordances for implementation. Other organisations in different locations may have different operational methods and views, which could be beneficial to study in this regard. Therefore, a future research option could be to include more organisations to compare their viewpoints on strategy translation and its affordances for implementation.
Secondly and finally, the number of lower-level managers interviewed exceeded that of middle- and senior-level managers. Since much of the legwork for strategy translation and implementation is generally undertaken by lower-level employees, the number of participants in this segment should be increased in future studies to obtain a more holistic view of their experiences in this regard.
This section summarises the key insights derived from the study and outlines their managerial and theoretical implications.
This study proposed and highlighted the need for the strategy message to be personalised for the receiver thereof and transferred using a simple language to increase translation and afford implementation. It also outlined the need for a broad, organisation-wide understanding of strategy messages by nurturing a team-centric environment in which inclusive strategy formulation, a culture of inclusivity, and open communication and dialogue are present. This may require effective, consistent communication and a reciprocal process of sense-making, sense-giving and sense reception between employees at all levels of the organisation (Gioia & Chittipeddi
These individual departmental strategies should then be shared with senior management for their input and for incorporation into the broader overall organisational strategy, with personalised elements for each department. This strategy should then be widely communicated to the organisation with direct links between senior- and lower-level employees. As identified in this study, higher-level management should become hands-on and involved at the ground level to gain an understanding of implementers and their professional contexts. They should nurture a positive workplace environment, in which employees feel valued. This may increase morale, and thus afford the impetus to follow the direction of a trusted management team. The process outlined above may be more time-consuming than bulk, generic messaging and management practices, but may go a long way to enhance translation and afford implementation.
Ultimately, the researchers conclude that through the lens of affordance, the strategy message should not only allow but also enable and empower all employees (strategy implementers) to effectively translate and implement organisational strategies (even in the absence of supervision).
The authors declare that they have no financial or personal relationships that may have inappropriately influenced them in writing this article.
Muriel Serfontein-Jordaan: Conceptualisation, Formal analysis, Investigation, Methodology, Project administration, Resources, Software, Validation, Visualisation, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing. Marius Pretorius: Conceptualisation, Formal analysis, Investigation, Methodology, Project administration, Resources, Software, Supervision, Validation, Visualisation, Writing – original draft. Leanne Kunz: Conceptualisation, Data curation, Formal analysis, Investigation, Methodology, Validation, Visualisation, Project administration, Resources, Software, Writing – original draft. Rebaona Letsholo: Conceptualisation, Formal analysis, Investigation, Methodology, Project administration, Resources, Software, Validation, Visualisation, Writing – original draft. All authors reviewed the article, contributed to the discussion of results, approved the final version for submission and publication, and take responsibility for the integrity of its findings.
The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, Muriel Serfontein-Jordaan, upon reasonable request.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and are the product of professional research. It does not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any affiliated institution, funder, agency or that of the publisher. The authors are responsible for this article’s results, findings and content.